Today marks day three in our journey through Vietnam (and Cambodia). Yesterday, we walked around the city for seven hours. Some favorite adventures:
- Ben Thanh Market: seeing it on the food network just isn’t the same as being there. The smells were amazing - overwhelming and amazing. The market itself is gigantic. It carries everything from clothing and jewelry to every kind of meat and seafood you could possibly imagine. I was nervous about this - the whole vegan thing doesn’t really translate over here - but I did pretty well. I only got squeemish when I saw a woman slicing open live frogs. Bought the best mango I have ever tasted. Also got some delicious Vietnamese “nectarines” (green and smaller than ours, but more floral and delicious - almost tasted like a flower).
- War Remnants Museum: This museum was a very tough experience, but I think it was important that Dan and I start our trip this way. The museum is both on the outside and the inside of the building. You walk in the gate and are met with US military planes and helicopters, not to mention the large pile of real bomb debris. Inside the museum, you are immediately met with the reality of the war. Pictures line the walls with unexploded mines, missiles, and guns underneath them in cases as far as the eye can see. At the risk of sounding political, I was ashamed to be an American. The photographs of the unspeakable acts performed on unarmed men, women and children was beyond my comprehension - not to mention the hundreds of photos of the effects of Agent Orange, which we sprayed by the hundreds of millions of gallons. There were also many photos of the effects of the war on American soldiers, which I thought was an interesting act of diplomacy, seeing as the museum is operated by the Vietnamese gvt.
Other highlights included incredible street food (fresh coconut water is amazing), learning how to cross the streets and navigate through the motor bikes, and sitting in one of the many beautiful parks. Ho Chi Minh City is full of contradictions: abject poverty sitting side by side with industrious success. It is a city of hardworking, beautiful people, and I’m glad it was our jumping off point.
From here, we will start our trip northward towards Hanoi and Halong Bay - stopping at lots of sights along the way. After that, we’ll come back south to check out the Mekong Delta and end our trip with an excursion to Phnom Penh and Ankor Wat in Cambodia.
More to come. Miss everyone.
